Drink bottles are used in all sorts of situations as a convenient means of hydration. For certain activities, such as running or cycling, it is advantageous at times for the user to be able to employ the drink bottle to direct a squirt of fluid into their mouth. The most common design for achieving this consists of a squeezable bottle equipped with a screw-on cap featuring a pull-to-open, push-to-close spout. When in the open position, the spout's fluid channel is sized so that under pressure the fluid emerges from the bottle in a stream that is manageable for drinking. After squeezing the bottle to get a mouthful of fluid, the user relaxes their hand and air flows back into the bottle through the spout's channel. The push-pull spout may be opened and closed by the user with their hands or mouth.
A second type of commercially-available squirt mouthpiece consists of a diaphragm valve coupled with a spout that is constructed into a screw-top cap. The diaphragm valve works like a check valve and opens in response to pressure-generated in the bottle via the user's squeezing action. The diaphragm valve has a cracking pressure that is low enough to allow fluid to begin flowing under moderate bottle hand pressure, yet high enough so that fluid does not leak through the valve inadvertently. The diaphragm valve is designed such that it also works as a one-way valve, allowing air to re-enter the bottle after each squeeze. A spout is typically used in conjunction with the diaphragm valve to help direct flow from the valve and to provide a mouthpiece for the user. Certain diaphragm-valve equipped bottles include a manual shut-off valve to further protect against inadvertent leakage.
The mouthpieces and caps described above are typically sold with squeezable bottles that are sized for the hand and are generally cylindrical and are made of flexible plastic. If intended for bicycling, for example, the bottle may feature grooves or ribbing that allow the bottle to be retained in a bike-mounted bottle cage. For running, squeeze bottles may have a cross-sectional shape that is more oval to create a better fit against the runner's body.
Current squeeze bottles suffer a number of limitations. For example, bottle shapes often preclude efficient pressure generation. Push-pull spouts leak unless they are closed after each use. Diaphragm valve equipped bottles are difficult to manufacture and are relatively expensive. Further, for bottle manufacturers to meet the specific needs of each market niche may require the production of several different models.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved drink bottle that offers efficient stream generation, leak protection, and portability while providing manufacturing economy.